Typical semiconductor devices are operated by a clock. Additional power may be consumed by the device whenever the circuit is “clocked”—i.e., on every clock cycle. When the clock frequency is higher, more power may be consumed by the device. Higher power consumption requires larger power supplies. Furthermore, higher power consumption causes waste heat to build up in the relatively small area of the device. Heat levels may eventually rise to the point where specialized cooling of the device is required. Additionally, typical semiconductor devices fail more often when operating at higher temperatures. However, advanced devices often require high clock speeds to meet system requirements.
It would be desirable, therefore, to provide an apparatus and/or methods that control the clock frequency, and therefore power consumption, without comprising performance.